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Dado set A dado set is a stack of blades that can be adjusted to cut wide, flat-bottomed kerfs (generally from 1⁄4 in. to 3⁄4 in. wide), ideal for grooves and dadoes. Two scoring blades go on the outside of the stack to score and cleanly cut cross-grain fibers. Flat-topped chipper blades are stacked between the scoring blades to hog out the majority of the waste. Most sets include shims to dial in slight changes in the width of cut. A a ( g t c b t i w It’s the most versatile joinery blade, making jobs such as cutting tenons, rabbets, dadoes, and grooves simple and straightforward. You change the width of a cut by stacking different combinations of blades and shims. M To cut a groove or a dado, simply load the number of blades and shims needed to make a specific width, and use the rip fence or miter gauge to make the cut. Make sure the scoring blades are on either end, with the high point of the angled teeth on the outside (see above). To cut a rabbet, use a sacrificial fence and bury the blade in it (I use my L-fence, covered in FWW #237). The width and height of the exposed section of blade determines the rabbet size. After dialing in the cut, run the board against the fence to create the rabbet. Cutting tenons is quick and straightforward with this blade. With the dado set sized narrower than the tenon’s length, use an accurate miter gauge or a push block to guide the workpiece and use the rip fence as a stop to set the length of the tenon. The narrower dado set doesn’t have to be buried in the fence, and the smaller cuts are more accurate. While this is a very direct method and I use it frequently, inconsistencies in tenon thickness are common. The easiest way around this is to set the saw to cut the tenon just a little fat and then fit each one with a shoulder plane. 34 FINE WOODWORKING y people already own an 8-in. stacked dado blade set. Chippers Scoring blade The dado set makes a wide, flat cut, except for the deep marks, or ears, left by the scoring blades. Easy grooves and dadoes. To cut grooves and dadoes, stack the blades and set the depth of cut. Rabbets, too. To cut rabbets, clamp a sacrificial fence to the rip fence and position it over the blade. Set the depth of cut and run the stock against the fence. Tenons made simple. Cutting tenons with a dado set is fast and easy. Use a miter gauge to hold the workpiece and the rip fence to set the tenon’s length. A few passes on each cheek will produce tenons ready to be fitted by hand with a shoulder plane.